This invention relates to the art of marine minesweeping, and more particularly to the sweeping of moored mines by apparatus that severs the mooring cables.
In the past, moored marine mines have been swept by streaming, from a surface ship or helicopter, sweeping apparatus comprising a sweep cable having one or more mooring cable cutters spaced there along, and means such as paravanes or diverters to cause the sweep cable to assume a position somewhat transverse to its direction of movement. A mine mooring cable engaged by the sweep cable slides therealong to one of the cutters, usually having an explosive actuated shear, and is severed. The mines so released float to the surface for disposal, as by gunfire.
Antisubmarine mines may be moored at any depth within the operating depth ranges of modern submarines. Such depths may be much greater than the depths at which their mooring can be cut by conventional sweeping equipment, as operated by vehicles on or above the sea surface. Moreover, in situations such as under Arctic ice, or where it is desired or necessary to conduct sweeping operations clandestinely with respect to enemy observation, the use of surface or air vehicles in performing sweeping operations is ruled out. Additionally, particularly with regard to submarines or other vessels not normally equipped to sweep mines, and operating at substantial distances from vessels or aircraft that can provide minesweeping services, it would be desirable to provide some form of portable, readily usable, mine removal capability for self protection.